The Machine Gone Wrong
by JesusFreak9
Summary: (13 going on 30) Caroline uses her best friend's invention and finds herself warped into the world of 13 going on 30! How will she get out of this mess?
1. The new invention

It was just another school day when I walked across the halls of my best friend, Jake's, laboratory. Machines and chemicals were pretty much the only things that were seen in the dark, gloomy basement. Jake was working on a surprise for her; little did she know it would change her life forever.  
  
After searching the entire basement, I finally got to the place where Jake stood beside a large object that was hidden beneath a white cloth.  
  
Jake smiled. "You're late." He teased. "Don't tell me, detention."  
  
"Again. And I've never really done anything wrong except steal Stacie's Barbie doll in Kindergarten. I think Mr. Weirdo (his real name is Mr. Dan, but since he's so weird, we like to call our math teacher Mr. Weirdo) is so into his work, he read our homework wrong." I dropped my backpack onto the hard, wooden floor. "So, what's the surprise?"  
  
"Close your eyes, and for once, without peeking." I closed my eyes tightly as I could hear Jake whoosh the white cloth off of the large thingy a bobber and press a few buttons. Beeping was heard, and I smelt smoke puffing out of the machine. "Ok, open your eyes." I opened my eyes, just to discover a huge, shaking machine with a tall door and a keyboard attached to it.  
  
"Cool!" I exclaimed as I stared at the machine, amazed. "What can it do?"  
  
"It's supposed to let you bring movie and book characters to life, but I haven't tried it out yet. It can also bring people from the past and the future to here. I was thinking we could use it for our history reports." Jake smiled at me again and took a glance at the keyboard. "Wanna test it out to see if it works?" His smile turned into more of a smirk. I nodded eagerly. He pressed a few buttons, then pulled down a lever to a point that said "Movie Character". "What would you prefer?"  
  
"Hmm, what movie have we seen lately?" And after a moment of thought, I added, "How about Jennifer Garner from 13 going on 30?"  
  
Jake continued to press a few buttons until the door opened and some of the smoke died down.  
  
"Hello?" I called. "Is anyone in there?"  
  
There was no reply.  
  
I couldn't help but take peek inside there, careful not to actually go into the machine. I didn't see anything but a warp in the back. Where was the movie star I expected?  
  
Suddenly, the door closed, knocking me into the warp. I screamed as I fell down, down, and down until I landed with a thud onto a hard concrete floor.  
  
"Ow!" I shouted, rubbing my back. I looked at my surroundings. Where was I?  
  
HONK! I noticed I was on a street and that a car was coming right towards me! I knew I couldn't get up in time and screamed for help. The car immediately pulled over and two familiar women ran towards me.  
  
"Oh my gosh! Are you ok?" One asked. I then recognized them. They were Jennifer Garner and Judy Greer! I also realized that Jake's experiment had gone wrong. I was stuck in the movie 13 going on 30!!!  
  
Maybe it was just a dream. Or maybe it wasn't. Maybe she had some sort of mental illness.  
  
"I think I am, I mean I hope I am." I replied as I let them help me up.  
  
"I hate to be rude and all, but why were you just sitting in the middle of the road? You could have been killed!" Judy (or Lucy) exclaimed.  
  
"I wasn't just sitting out in the road. I walked into my best friend's invention and fell into the sky and just landed in the middle of the street!" The looks on their faces told me they didn't believe me.  
  
"Jenna, we have to get this girl to the hospital!" Lucy said.  
  
"You know, Lucy, I think I'm the one who needs to go to the hospital." I heard Jenna say as I ran from the two as fast as my sore legs could go.  
  
"There she goes!" I felt Lucy point directly at me and heard the sound of a car start. Then it seemed as if it had changed from a twist in 13 going on 30 to a chase scene in Alias.  
  
After I thought I lost them, I heard Lucy say, "Oh, she'll be fine, let's go. We're late for work!"  
  
Even thought I knew they weren't chasing me anymore, I kept running. I had to find a way to get out of this...  
  
Suddenly, I bumped into somebody...  
  
TO BE CONTINUED!  
  
A/N: I bet you've noticed that I haven't been writing new chapters to stories lately. You know why;  
  
I'm really busy. I've run out of ideas.  
  
It'd really help if you emailed me ideas at:  
  
jennawood@bellsouth.net (I've changed my email)  
  
Remember, DON'T send them to me in reviews, or everyone will find out what happens! 


	2. The mess is just beginning to get worse

Umph! Me and the guy I bumped into fell on the concrete-again.  
  
"I'm so sorry, are you ok?" The guy asked once he got up. I stood up, rubbing my head. "Who are you?" He added, staring at me.  
  
"What... wha..."  
  
"Wendy?" I think he misunderstood me. Maybe he has bad hearing or something.  
  
Wait a minute. Is that who I think it is? Of course, Wendy is the girl that Matt was about to marry in the movie! So, I guess that means I've got a part, now.  
  
I decided I was going to state my real name, but the words slipped out of my mouth, "Yeah, I'm Wendy."  
  
This is just too crazy.  
  
"I'm Matt. Sorry, I didn't look where I was going." He apologized again.  
  
"No, no, it's ok. You know, I really should be getting home now..." I tried to run off but he stopped me.  
  
"Wait, can I get you something?" He just wouldn't give up, would he?  
  
"Really, I'm fine."  
  
"Are you sure you don't want me to walk you home or something?" Nope, he just wouldn't.  
  
"Look, I'm trying to be nice, but how many times do I have to say that I don't need anything from you?!" I turned around and started walking in a random direction, not knowing where to go, exactly. I had to find a way out of the movie before I mess it up. Even though I loved his character, I didn't love him enough to just wander off with him somewhere and waste my time partying with him instead of finding my way out of the movie before I got too caught in it.  
  
"Now, how can I get out of here?" I asked myself. Maybe a time machine, or maybe a warp, or maybe...  
  
That's it! The warp! Maybe if I go back to where I started, I can find a way outta here!  
  
And what could be worse, another distraction...  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
A/N: Could somebody at least make a correction? JUST REVIEW, PLEASE!!!!!!!! 


	3. Fiance

I decided to stop by a restaurant on my way to the nearest hotel that evening. Or was it that day? I couldn't tell, the days being stuck inside a movie went by so fast. When I walked into the crowded building, I noticed Jenna, Matt, Lucy, Richard and a swarm of other dancing to the music that was blasting out of the speakers. Matt also noticed me and excused himself.  
  
Oh no. This didn't look good at all. So I started to run away.  
  
"Hey, Wendy! Stop!" He called after me. "I need to ask you something!" He tugged me to a complete stop. Then he kissed me on the cheek. What the heck was he doing?  
  
"Excuse me! Why did you do that? You don't even know me!" I shrieked.  
  
"What are you talking about? We're getting married Saturday!"  
  
"But don't you remembered when I bumped into you? You didn't know who I was then!"  
  
"I don't remember that. I think I might have been drinking too much or something. But we are getting married Saturday. Maybe you have been drinking too much or something." He replied.  
  
"I don't drink! And you don't love me! You love Jenna Rink!" I slapped my hands to my mouth, regretting what I had just said.  
  
"Who?" Matt seemed confused.  
  
"Never mind. I need to get home." I started to walk away.  
  
"Um, you're apartment is that way." He pointed to the opposite direction.  
  
"Right." I turned around and began the walk to my so-called home.  
  
Wondering why he thought I was his fiancé, I stared at myself in my mirror.  
  
"Oh my gosh! Look at me!" I screamed.  
  
"For the last time, honey, you don't need to go on a diet!" Matt said. "I'll be in our room."  
  
Our room? Oh no.  
  
I had to find a way out of this! I had to find the warp! 


	4. The nightmare

I couldn't get to sleep that night. Thoughts hurried in and out of my head. I thought of Jake and his new invention. The warp and how I almost got ran over by Jennifer Gardner and Judy Greer. Matt kissing me and telling me I was his fiancé. How could this happen?  
  
I hoped that I would suddenly wake up and that this would all be a dream, but it wasn't. It was just plain horrible. I know most girls would enjoy being Mark Ruffallo's fiancé, and I have to admit it was pretty cool. But somehow I felt this feeling that told me I was an idiot just doing nothing about all this mess. Maybe it's because Jenna and Matt really belong together.  
  
I decided to catch a little fresh air, careful not to wake up Matt, who snored so loud I was afraid the neighbors would call us and tell us to keep it down. And once I got outside, I started to run uncontrollably to a familiar street. It was the street where the warp was.  
  
Where did it go? Duh, it vanished a little while after I fell into this nightmare. I gazed at the dark blue sky, the stars blinking and the cool air flowing through my face. I wondered what Jake was doing that very moment.  
  
Meanwhile, Jake was tapping keys, attaching and pulling out various wires, and giving all he had got to get me back to reality. With bags hanging under his eyes he never stopped working. Jake knew that if I stayed in the movie too long I'd mess it up completely and/or get so lost into the movie I'd never get out. He was even more scared than me.  
  
Sweat and tears running down his face made him seem like he was afraid that a bomb was going to blow up in five seconds. And after a few hours (which seemed like years to Jake) Jake drifted off to sleep.  
  
Attention: This is Jake's dream  
  
Jake found himself a few seconds later back when I was just about to go into the machine. Peeking through the doors, I called out. The door was about to butt me into the machine. Diving for the door and grabbing the knob, he was knocked into the machine with me. We both fell down, down, and down onto the hard concrete.  
  
"Jake, where are we?" He heard me ask him.  
  
HONK! He dived again, this time trying to force me over to the sidewalk. But, accidentally, he was the only one who made it,  
  
There I was, lying on the street, not breathing.  
  
"CAROLYN!" Jake screamed as he ran over to me, sobbing. "Carolyn! No, you can make it. Carolyn..."  
  
Attention: His dream has now ended  
  
"NOOOOOOO!!!!!" Jake woke up screaming. Relived it was only a dream; he knew he had to do something. Pacing back and forth across the wooden floor, he got an idea.  
  
"If I pull this wire, and plug in this one, then press the red button, it'll turn back on the warp!" Jake exclaimed as he went back to work. After a little while, the door flew open. "Now she just needs to find the warp, if she's not hurt." A tear slid down his cheek thinking of the terrible nightmare he had just had.  
  
A/N: I'm sorry the chapter's so sad. I'll continue writing if you could just review! I don't care if it is a flame, just review and tell me what you think! 


	5. Vienna

I stood there, staring at the part of the sky where the warp used to be. Losing all the hope I had that the warp would appear again, magically, I turned around, put my hands in my pocket, and headed back into my apartment.  
  
Suddenly, I saw the warp reflected in a window of a store. Could I just have been seeing things?  
  
Running back to the warp, I smiled. Now I could get back home!  
  
But, before I knew it, the warp disappeared. What was going on...  
  
Ow! Jake landed on me.  
  
"Jake? Is that you?' I asked him.  
  
"Carolyn? You're alive!" He squeezed me so that I couldn't breathe.  
  
"I know, but could you please let go of me before I do?" I asked with all of the breath I had left.  
  
"Oh, sorry." He said, letting go of me. "It looks like my invention still isn't doing what I expected."  
  
"So, instead of bringing me back, it brought you here?" I guessed.  
  
"Yup, it sure looks like it." Jake's teeth chattered.  
  
"Jake, why are your teeth chattering?"  
  
"Without one of us there knowing where the invention is and knowing what happened to us, I don't think we'll be able to go back."  
  
"What? Not go back? Jake, I have to go back home!" I exclaimed, sobbing. "What about my family, our friends, and my poor little dog, Hannah?"  
  
"I know, they're lucky they're not out here, aren't they?" I glared at him. "Look, I know I want to go back just as much as you do. But still, unless a miracle happens, we'll be stuck here. So we might as well make the best of it."  
  
"And how?" I rolled my eyes.  
  
"Well... you're dream has come true, you'll be able to hang out with Jennifer Gardner. And now that you're playing the part of Wendy, you're engaged to Mark Ruffalo. I mean, what could be better? Besides, my invention has done at least something good."  
  
"You call locking us into the movie 13 going on 30 'good'? Don't you even care that we'll never get back home to our friends and families? Do you even care about them? Our lives have been ruined, Jake. There's no way out of this mess made by that stupid machine you made! Have fun partying while our parents worry to death about us!" Carolyn ran off.  
  
"Carolyn! Uh, come back here young lady... Carolyn!?"  
  
I just ran, not knowing where I was going. Tears flying from my eyes like a fountain or something, I couldn't believe how Jake was reacting to all this.  
  
Suddenly I found myself on a train. This was really weird. From where I was sitting, I could see Jennifer Gardner watching sadly at a group of thirteen year-olds talking. And, coming out of nowhere, "Vienna" was playing. I looked around for the speakers. Where were they?  
  
Who cared about the stupid speakers at a time like that? I was stuck in a movie with no way out. I had just broke up with my best friend who would know when there was a way out of the movie. And I was on a train that I didn't even know where was going! How could this happen? Gees, how many times have I said that line?  
  
"Hello? Is anyone in there?" I looked up from the window I was gazing at to find Jennifer Gardner waving her hand in my face. "Can you please tell me where that music is coming from?" I noticed her cell phone was ringing. I burst out laughing. Jennifer looked confused.  
  
"It's your cell phone, Jenna." I answered through gasps.  
  
"Oh. She began to walk away but then paused. "How do you know my name?"  
  
I stopped laughing.  
  
I tried to think of an excuse until the strangest thing happened.  
  
"Um... your wallet is hanging out of your purse." After years of making excuses for being late for curfew, this was the lamest excuse I've ever thought of.  
  
"Oh." She said once again, opening her cell phone. "Hello?" She frowned. "Uh huh... no... yeah... uh huh... nope... ok, bye." Jenna hung up the phone.  
  
"Who was that?" I asked her.  
  
"My boss. I'm fired and he wants me to save anything I want to keep from my office." She fell into the seat next to me. "You wouldn't believe what has happened to me the past few weeks. First, it was my thirteenth birthday, now, I'm this!" She flew her hands up into the air.  
  
"Crazy things have happened to me, too. I..." I paused. 'Should I tell her?' I wondered. "I'm getting married to a really cute guy."  
  
"Hey, I know you! You're Wendy, Matt's fiancé! Weren't you also the girl we almost ran over? Yeah, you also said something about you falling down, down, and down onto the concrete. What was that, anyway?" Jennifer asked me.  
  
"Well..." I frowned at her. "You promise not to laugh or anything, don't you?"  
  
"I won't laugh, I swear." Jennifer replied.  
  
"Ok, it all started at my ex-best friend's house. He's a scientist, well, he wants to be, anyway, he was working on a new invention. It was supposed to bring movie and book characters to life, and people from different times to here, we were going to use it for school reports."  
  
"Cool!"  
  
"But it actually turned out that instead of bringing a movie character to there, it brought me and my best friend to... to... into a different world, sort of like you. It's ok if you don't believe me, because I don't really believe it myself."  
  
"I believe you. If something this weird can happen to me, then it must be true." Jennifer smiled. "So then you're not really Wendy?"  
  
"No, I'm just in her body. But I bet the real Wendy's out there somewhere." I smiled back. "The thing is, you and Matt really belong together. And if Matt should be marrying somebody, it should be you."  
  
"Thanks." Jennifer glanced at me, surprised. "You mean you really don't mind?"  
  
"No, really! You're a really cute couple!" I'm too young for him, anyways."  
  
You know that when the truth is told...  
  
"Hey, where's that music coming from?" I asked Jennifer.  
  
"I've been trying to find that out since I was four. Strange, isn't it?"  
  
A/N: Hmm, this chapter is longer than the rest. Just keep reviewing and I'll keep writing! 


	6. Finally going home but leaving one behin...

I took the train back to New York and once I got off I began my search for Jake. I knew he was only trying to help, and that he was right. Even though it seemed that since we would never get back it'd be the end of the world, well, it was actually the end of the world for Jake and I, we should make the best of it. And hey, it was cool that Matt thought I his fiancé.  
  
"Honey, it's time for bed!" Jake's mom called. Unfortunately, there was no reply. "Honey?" She walked down the steps of the basement. "John! Where's Jake?" "I don't know, sweetheart!" Jake's dad walked into the basement. "Maybe he's in the..." He tripped over a wire, which caused it to unplug. Before he could reach the ground, Jake's dad gripped the machine, accidentally pressing a big, red button. The door flew open and a warp appeared inside of the machine. "... warp?"  
  
~*~  
  
Jake sighed. 'Carolyn is right; there really is nothing good about being stuck inside a movie.' Suddenly, the warp appeared. Jake smiled, now he and I could get out... Jake's smile faded once he realized that he wasn't mad enough to leave without me. So he began to look for me through the busy streets of New York.  
  
I gave up looking for Jake after what seemed like ages. What would Jake and I do now since we couldn't go back? Just thinking of my mother and father's reaction to my disappearance made tears slide down my cheeks. Pretty soon they came uncontrollably, making me run towards my apartment. I paused once I heard a familiar voice.  
  
"Carolyn!" I saw Jake running towards me as fast as his legs could possibly take him. He wore a big smile for some odd reason, even though our lives would be ruined. What was going on?  
  
"Carolyn, we're going home." He exclaimed with all the breath he had left once he reached me.  
  
"Jake, I forgive you, but lying to me isn't what's making me."  
  
"No, really, I saw the warp. Carolyn, we have to go! The warp only lasts for ten more minutes." Jake said to me with his teeth chattering- again.  
  
"Jake stop chattering your teeth. Maybe you were just seeing things." I suggested.  
  
"Carolyn, listen to me. This may be our last chance of going home. Have I ever lied to you? Ok, maybe I have. But..."  
  
"I don't remember the last time you lied to me." I said to him.  
  
"Ok, I lied when I said we were lucky to get caught in the movie. We aren't. You know the saying, 'there's no place like home'. Well, there really isn't place like home. And this is coming from a guy who has wanted to leave his parents for a long time just because they were annoying."  
  
"Jake, all parents are annoying sometimes. I mean, I've always wanted to set out on my own to lots of places without my parents, too. But I've also known that no matter where I go, I'll always love them. And they'll always love me, too. You may be right, Jake, this could be our last chance of returning home. And, I wouldn't miss it for the world." I smiled at Jake.  
  
"Maybe I was just seeing things." Jake thought aloud.  
  
"Maybe you weren't. We're running out of time, Jake. Let's just go see if it's there."  
  
"But Carolyn, this is also our last chance of setting out alone, too. We could be free from having anyone from telling us what to do. Look, we're going to go away from home soon, anyway. Why not do it now?"  
  
"Jake, we're in a movie." I exclaimed to Jake, who was silently crying.  
  
"But don't you see? We don't have to go back! What about Jennifer Gardner? What about Matt? I'm sure he'll miss you. Leaving may ruin the movie."  
  
"You know what, ruining the movie doesn't mean a thing to me. You can go ahead and stay here if you want. But just remember, someone is waiting for you back home." I marched away, angry that Jake still didn't get it. 'He really doesn't care, does he?' I thought.  
  
Once I saw the warp, tears were flooding my path. I was going home, leaving someone I loved behind. 


	7. The End of the Journey

"Carolyn? Is that you?" Jake's mom asked after I had came back from the warp. "Do you know where Jake is?"  
  
"He's... he's in his new invention." I hated to think about the fight we had just had. And I wondered how I could leave him there alone with no way out. I felt so guilty I felt like going back into the movie to save him.  
  
When I was walking home that evening all I could think about was Jake. He had been so sweet to work all night just to save me. And how no matter what bad thing I did he'd always be there for me. But now, he wasn't there. And it was all my fault.  
  
At school the next day I couldn't focus. I wasn't even hungry at dinner. I couldn't stand it anymore. I had to do something. So I ran to Jake's house that night to get him back.  
  
I had to sneak past his parents who were asleep in their bed, like I would be doing if I wasn't going to help my best friend. And when I creaked the door open to the basement, you wouldn't believe what I saw.  
  
"Jake!" I ran up to him and kissed him.  
  
"What was that for?" Jake asked me after the kiss was over.  
  
"For always being there for me." I smiled at him, and he smiled back in reply.  
  
The next day was the science fair. I helped Jake bring the invention (or, as I like to call it, "The Machine Gone Wrong") all the way to the school. Man, that thing weighed a ton! I knew Jake was going to win once I saw all the other contestant's inventions. Each of them were small, weak, and made of marbles, coat hangers, and a lot of other cheap things. None of them looked as complicated as Jake's, which made me proud that he was my friend (or boyfriend, which ever you prefer).  
  
I was relieved when the announcer arrived to the stage that sat waiting for him.  
  
"And the winner of this year's science fair is... Jake Cleghorn's invention, 'The Machine Gone Wrong'!" A loud applause began. I hugged Jake so tight it looked like he was about to pass out. Then, in front of hundreds of people, he kissed me.  
  
Hallelujah!  
  
Hey, well at least Jake's machine has done something right!  
  
THE END  
  
Or is it the end? I need your opinion. Should I make a sequel? Or have you had enough of my crazy stories? It's up to you! Of course, if you think I should, I have to complete my other fics before I can start a new one. Ideas would be a big help! 


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